1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a hand tool and more particularly a hand tool for ripping through the shell of a hard boiled egg to facilitate peeling the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are known for use in peeling the shell from a hard boiled egg and by way of example reference maybe had to the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,306 issued Nov. 29, 1988 to G. E. Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,102 issued Mar. 4, 1980 to C. J. Cope; U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,234 issued Jan. 8, 1980 to W. H. Reed; U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,456 issued Apr. 17, 1979 to T. Gisonni; U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,774 issued Oct. 3, 1978 to E. R. Wilburn et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,402 issued Aug. 15, 1978 to J. C. Gevas; U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,051 issued Nov. 1, 1977 to E. A. Brown; U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,458 issued Jan. 5, 1971 to J. C. Whitman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,122 issued Aug. 6, 1969 to R. C. Bjork; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,535,980 issued Dec. 26, 1950 to C. K. Yeamans.
None of the foregoing references while pertinent teach the unique features of the present invention. The only reference considered to be of some relevancy is U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,774 in that it discloses a pointed head in which the pointed end goes between the egg shell and the hard boiled egg white. Thereafter water under pressure is introduce by way of the device between the egg shell and the egg white to remove the shell. U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,456 discloses a sleeve having resiliently biased prongs projecting into the sleeve wherein each prong has a hooked end to ripe through the egg shell and thus remove it from the firm egg white. However, neither of the forgoing references suggest or disclose any means that engages and slides over the outer surface of the egg shell and controls the depth of penetration of the shell ripper as does the present invention.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple hand tool that can be used to make gashes in the shell of a hard boiled egg so that the shell can easily be removed while at the same time the user can be reasonably assured, due to a depth control feature, there is little likelihood of making a gouge in the egg white.
A preferred embodiment of the instant invention provides a hand tool for use in removing the shell from a hard boiled egg. The tool includes a handle readily grasped by one hand with a first and a second spaced apart pair of egg shell abutment members connected to the handle. The egg shell abutment members have respective first and second contact surfaces for engaging the outer surface of the egg shell. A shell ripper is connected to the handle and disposed between the abutment members. The ripper has a leading end portion in a plane offset in a first direction from a plane containing the first and second contact surfaces on the egg shell abutment members and a portion spaced from the leading end portion that is offset from the plane in a direction opposite the first direction.
Moreover, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hand tool for use in removing the shell from a hard boiled egg. The tool includes a handle including a first and a second spaced apart pair of egg shell abutment guide tines connected to the handle and having respective first and second contact surfaces for engaging the outer surface of an egg shell. The handle includes a longitudinal distal end defining a shell ripper tine disposed in between the pair of guide tines and the ripper tine includes an upwardly extending projection or hump spaced from the leading end portion.
Furthermore, the instant invention may also define a hand tool for use in removing the shell from a hard boiled egg including a body, a handle extending form the body, at least one longitudinal member extending therefrom defining a shell ripper member having an upwardly extending projection spaced from a leading end portion, and at least one pair of guide members extending from the body opposite the handle on each side of the shell ripper member for engaging the outer surface of an egg shell.